Dr. Sudman’s Biology 120 - Final Exam

The Final Exam is scheduled for Monday, December 12th @ 3:00 am. The exam with be entirely multiple choice, true/false, and matching. BRING A #2 PENCIL AND A GREEN SCANTRON FORM. The exam will begin PROMPTLY at 3:00, so please be on time. If you come in to take the exam after the first person has finished the exam, you will NOT be allowed to take the exam and will have to arrange a time to take a WRITTEN final. The following is a general outline of what I consider to be some of the more important points that we have covered during the semester. Most (but not all) of the questions will come off of old exams, and will represent a summary of the material that we have covered. The questions will be split equally, with 12 or 13 questions coming from the material for each of the 4 exams. The exam will not be long (50 questions) but will be comprehensive in nature. Please study!!!

Exam #1 Material

What is biology? What are the common properties of a living organism? What are the types of biological organization?

What is an atom? compound? molecule?

Review the basics of chemical bonding.

Go over the important characteristics of the water molecule.

Organic compounds - what are the 4 classes of organic compounds? what are the major elements involved?

What are the major differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

What are the major organelles of a eukaryotic cell? What does each do?

How are cells joined together? What are the types of junctions called?

Exam #2 Material

What is the basic structure of a biological membrane? What are its functions? How are substances moved into and out of a cell?

What are enzymes? How do they work?
What is ATP? Where does the energy come from?

What is the basic formula for cellular respiration? What four steps are involved and where do they occur? Where does most of the ATP come from?

What are the three ways for a cell to gain ATP (i.e. the three pathways for generating ATP)?

What is the basic equation for photosynthesis? Where does this occur? What are the two major reactions called and specifically where do they occur?

Differentiate between a chromosome and a chromatid – how is the number of chromatids tied to the cell cycle?

What are the differences between mitosis and meiosis? What are the end products? What happens at each stage?

Exam #3 Material

Mendelian genetics - monohybrid and dihybrid crosses – be able to work out basic patterns of inheritance, as well as the specialized ones (i.e. codominance, epistasis, etc.).

Know the basic structure of DNA (made up of nucleotides, double helix, antiparallel, complimentary pairing etc.).

Understand the basics of DNA replication (semiconservative with leading and lagging strand).

Review transcription and translation and the enzymes involved (DNA ® mRNA ® protein).

Human genetics - sex determination, sex linked traits, non-disjunction, cancer genetics.

Exam #4 Material

Review the taxonomic hierarchy - know the order of classification for organisms.

How are new species created? What is the difference between allopatric and sympatric speciation? What are reproductive barriers?

Understand the basics of the binomial nomenclature system (using genus and species for naming specific organisms).

Darwinian Evolution – how does it work?

Origin of life – 4 stage hypothesis.

Geologic record and timing of important events in the evolution of life on this planet.